I watched a TEDTalks podcast of Don Norman titled “The three ways that good design makes you happy.” In the video, Don Norman turns his insightful eye toward beauty, fun, pleasure and emotion, as he looks at design that makes people happy. He talked about three emotional cues that a well-designed product must hit to succeed.
He starts out showing a picture of a fancy gold plated juicer that he owns, and talked about how when he got it there was a note saying he should not use it to squeeze actual oranges because it will ruin the finish. However, he still kept it, and he displays it at the front of his house because he finds it very appealing and fun. Norman’s job is about trying to understand what beauty and emotion is about.
He next talked about an MIT media lab that put a projector above a ping pong table that displayed a pond. Whenever the ball hit the table it created ripples in the water and the fish swam away. He asked the question if this was a good way to play ping pong? No not really, but is it fun? Yes! I had never really noticed this but at the bottom of a Google search page it says “Goooooooooogle” where the o’s reflect how many pages of information that was found for your search. This is a very pleasant and clever way to display the results and might enhance your Google experience without you really even knowing why. I amazed at how many “fun” things we buy even when they are not practical. There was a review on the Mini Coup that said it had many faults, but to buy it anyway because it is so fun to drive. I feel as though we believe that pleasant things work better.
It has been proven that fear and anxiety change the way you think. In the podcast it talked about how a psychologist did an experiment on students asking them to solve problems. When the students came in, she would tell them that it was an IQ test, and it would determine how they do in life. She asked the students to tie the strings together that were hanging from the ceiling, however the strings wouldn’t reach each other and they couldn’t solve it. Next she brought a second group of students in and before they started she said “oh by the way I have a box of candy here that I don’t eat candy- would you like it?” This made them happy in some little way, and they ended up solving the problem. It turns out when you are anxious you squirt neurotransmitters into the brain which focuses you; however, when you are happy (which is referred to as positive valence) you release dopamine into the prefrontal lobes. This allows you to think out side of the box and be more creative even though you are more susceptible to distractions.
Don Norman talked about the different levels of processing. First is the Visceral level which is built into the brain. For instance we prefer smiling faces over frowning ones, we like bright colors, etc. In design, you can express Visceral in many ways such as the choice of font you can use in an advertisement or the color the text is such as red for hot or exciting. The middle level of processing is the Behavioral level which is where most of the stuff gets done! It is sub conscious and most of what we do is sub conscious. Behavioral design is all about feeling in control – which includes usability and understanding but also the feel and heft. For example, you feel in control when you are driving a high performance sports car over a demanding curve. The third level is Reflective which is the little part of the brain that has no control. It looks over what is going on and is the little voice inside your head. Hummer owners enjoy driving their tank because it attracts lots of attention which makes them happy. Even though a digital watch would give a more accurate time, an owner of an impressive brand watch is going to show it off and enjoy it even more. Cognition is about understanding the world and emotion is about interpreting the world. Companies have to figure out what really appeals to customers and be very careful how they package their products.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Blog 6- Persuaders
I really enjoyed a quote from the video The Persuader: “Consumer’s are like roaches –you spray them and spray them and after awhile it doesn’t work anymore…they develop immunities.” Consumers are driven by unconscious needs and impulses. They want to be entertained. While in New York standing in Time Square, my husband asked, “what is the point of Times Square?” My answer was that it is just a huge marketing scheme! Looking around I couldn’t even concentrate on one ad because there was SO many of them!
In the video it talked about how by the early 1990’s a newer approach to marketing came to the floor- one that leapt over what the product did to what the product meant. Companies like Nike and Starbucks are engaging in a pseudo spiritual marketing. Nike has commercials about people’s relationship with running not necessarily about the features of the shoes. Marketers have gone out to find why people joined cults or were loyal to a brand and found out it was for the same reason: they need to belong and make meaning. Companies now have to maintain a meaning system. Tide is no longer a laundry detergent- every detergent cleans your clothes…it is a much deeper thing- it is an enabler, a liberator, and the heart of the family.
Clotaire Rapaille is one of many market researches claiming to have figured out consumers’ hidden desires. He conducts a series of 3 stages concerning the 3 brains on focus groups. He feels his technique provides insight on why people choose the products they do. He goes past reason to the final core. The first stage Dr. Rapaille performs is the Intelligence Stage- he starts with the cortex. In the video, the focus group was asked to say any words that came to their minds about the word “luxury.” Dr. Rapaille refers to this process as the “washout session” because it allows the participants to showcase how intelligent they are about the topic. Dr. Rapaille doesn’t really get anything beneficial from this stage, but it must be completed so he can get down to the real stuff later.
The second stage is the Emotions Stage- this is the limbic part of the brain. The objective for this stage is for participants to throw away their intelligent or logical thinking and enter into a new state-of-mind. Dr. Rapaille asks them to tell a story to a 5 year old from another planet. The group now does not understand why they are doing what they are doing which is exactly where Dr. Rapaille wants them to be.
The third stage is the Instincts Stage- this is the reptilian part of the brain. When the focus group came back from their break all the chairs were moved out and there were pillows and pads of paper on the floor. Dr. Rapaille says that when we wake up in the morning, we can remember things that happened long ago that are kept hidden in the back of our minds. Dr. Rapaille is hunting for their primal urges- he is after the “reptilian hot buttons” that compel us to action. His theory is that the reptilian always wins!
Dr. Rapaille develops “codes” for products. Through the years he has told car makers to beef up the size of their SUVs and tint windows because the code for SUVs is domination. He told a French cheese company that they were “Off Code” with their advertising in the American market. In France, cheese is alive and does not belong in the refrigerator. (I laughed when Dr. Rapaille said it was like how you don’t put a cat in the refrigerator because it is alive) However, in America, cheese is dead. Americans need to see it wrapped up in plastic (“a body bag”) and put in the fridge (“the morgue”).
Another topic to be mentioned about from the Persuader is Song airlines, a subsidiary of Delta Airlines. Delta is known for being old fashion air travel so they felt that Song could be their way of persuading us that they can compete with hip low cost carriers like JetBlue. They wanted to do their Ad campaign in a way that was emotional and optimistic. I liked their idea of downplaying the airlines new features in favor of something much more intangible- its soul. Creating something that communicates on another level is very important these days. I think it was a good idea that Song was trying to cater towards women’s needs and desires; however, I think they went a little too far with limitedly targeting “Carrie.” I liked their tag lines of “founded by optimists, built by believers” and “we are not an airline, we are a culture.” Sadly I think they missed something with their great idea because people couldn’t connect their marketing efforts with the airline. People didn’t know if they were a travel agent or airline? Overall I think the experience that Song airlines was trying to create was a good idea. I feel that Song had bad timing into the struggling airline industry. I guess the real question about creating experiences is should marketing be aimed at the head or the heart? Is less more? Is elegance simplicity? Can simple be beautiful?
In the video it talked about how by the early 1990’s a newer approach to marketing came to the floor- one that leapt over what the product did to what the product meant. Companies like Nike and Starbucks are engaging in a pseudo spiritual marketing. Nike has commercials about people’s relationship with running not necessarily about the features of the shoes. Marketers have gone out to find why people joined cults or were loyal to a brand and found out it was for the same reason: they need to belong and make meaning. Companies now have to maintain a meaning system. Tide is no longer a laundry detergent- every detergent cleans your clothes…it is a much deeper thing- it is an enabler, a liberator, and the heart of the family.
Clotaire Rapaille is one of many market researches claiming to have figured out consumers’ hidden desires. He conducts a series of 3 stages concerning the 3 brains on focus groups. He feels his technique provides insight on why people choose the products they do. He goes past reason to the final core. The first stage Dr. Rapaille performs is the Intelligence Stage- he starts with the cortex. In the video, the focus group was asked to say any words that came to their minds about the word “luxury.” Dr. Rapaille refers to this process as the “washout session” because it allows the participants to showcase how intelligent they are about the topic. Dr. Rapaille doesn’t really get anything beneficial from this stage, but it must be completed so he can get down to the real stuff later.
The second stage is the Emotions Stage- this is the limbic part of the brain. The objective for this stage is for participants to throw away their intelligent or logical thinking and enter into a new state-of-mind. Dr. Rapaille asks them to tell a story to a 5 year old from another planet. The group now does not understand why they are doing what they are doing which is exactly where Dr. Rapaille wants them to be.
The third stage is the Instincts Stage- this is the reptilian part of the brain. When the focus group came back from their break all the chairs were moved out and there were pillows and pads of paper on the floor. Dr. Rapaille says that when we wake up in the morning, we can remember things that happened long ago that are kept hidden in the back of our minds. Dr. Rapaille is hunting for their primal urges- he is after the “reptilian hot buttons” that compel us to action. His theory is that the reptilian always wins!
Dr. Rapaille develops “codes” for products. Through the years he has told car makers to beef up the size of their SUVs and tint windows because the code for SUVs is domination. He told a French cheese company that they were “Off Code” with their advertising in the American market. In France, cheese is alive and does not belong in the refrigerator. (I laughed when Dr. Rapaille said it was like how you don’t put a cat in the refrigerator because it is alive) However, in America, cheese is dead. Americans need to see it wrapped up in plastic (“a body bag”) and put in the fridge (“the morgue”).
Another topic to be mentioned about from the Persuader is Song airlines, a subsidiary of Delta Airlines. Delta is known for being old fashion air travel so they felt that Song could be their way of persuading us that they can compete with hip low cost carriers like JetBlue. They wanted to do their Ad campaign in a way that was emotional and optimistic. I liked their idea of downplaying the airlines new features in favor of something much more intangible- its soul. Creating something that communicates on another level is very important these days. I think it was a good idea that Song was trying to cater towards women’s needs and desires; however, I think they went a little too far with limitedly targeting “Carrie.” I liked their tag lines of “founded by optimists, built by believers” and “we are not an airline, we are a culture.” Sadly I think they missed something with their great idea because people couldn’t connect their marketing efforts with the airline. People didn’t know if they were a travel agent or airline? Overall I think the experience that Song airlines was trying to create was a good idea. I feel that Song had bad timing into the struggling airline industry. I guess the real question about creating experiences is should marketing be aimed at the head or the heart? Is less more? Is elegance simplicity? Can simple be beautiful?
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Kenna's Dilemma
Oh how consumers really have no idea what or why they truly want what they want. Confusing?! Yes! The chapter titled Kenna's Dilemma from Gladwell’s book, Blink, revolves around lessons that bring insights about a customer's decision making process and how a judgment might be made. Gladwell uses many different examples of companies who didn’t get to take advantage of these learning curves.
One of the first lessons that I think is most helpful for a marketer trying to gain insight from customers is that context is everything. Companies have to be so careful in how they design their research. Coke made a huge mistake with the “sip challenge” put on by Pepsi. Coke got nervous that they were loosing market share and that Pepsi was winning the head- to head challenges, so they redesigned their secret formula to come up with New Coke. Coca-Cola executives were so excited because it beat Pepsi in head-to-head blind taste tests; however, it failed miserably. Lab coats don’t always know best. The sip test really had nothing to do with real life. Who normally just takes one slip of a soda and drinks it while being blind folded? Hopefully the answer is no one! Coke forgot that there is a link between mind and body. For example, the psychological impact relates to Coke’s red label and the associations that the brand conveys while the physiological impact is how the flavor taste, etc. I love the initial taste of those red and white peppermints, but I can never finish it because it starts to taste weird to me after a while.
Researches say that a CLT (central location test) can produce totally different results than a home- use test. I feel results get distorted when they are taken out of context. For example, people act differently when they know that they are being observed compared to if they had no idea they were being watched. It’s always best to observe people in a natural environment. Market research isn’t always a great indicator of what might actually happen when the product is launched. It bothers me when companies ask potential customer’s hypothetical questions about if they would buy a certain new product. When XM Satellite Radio was trying to launch its commercial free radio they called people and asked them 80 questions. When people are being asked to use hypothetical money to buy a new product, they are typically going to just say yes; however, this is totally different than actually going out and buying it. Snapple doesn’t do research groups on new flavors- they just make up a new formula and put it on the shelves- if it sells- they keep it, if not- they just try a new one.
Another lesson that I found that could be instructive to help gain insight on customers is the fact that it is difficult for consumers to really articulate or to understand their own needs and feelings. In the TED talk podcast, Malcom Gladwell talked about how Howard Moskowitz finally realized that there is just not one prefect product. Now thanks to him there are 36 types of Ragu spaghetti sauce. In surveys no one really ever stated that they wanted chunky spaghetti sauce until they just tasted it. Customers only know what they know, not necessarily what to ask for. In the case of the Aeron chair it was seen as ugly and looked fragile. In all reality, it was just different and people try to go with the safest choice and the norm. People associate not liking things that are not familiar to them. When I was in New York over the break, my husband made me try baby octopus. He loved them, but I said I hated them because it was so different for me. If I probably just got over the fact that it was different I probably would have liked them; however, I was quick to judge and labeled it as something I would not get again. Revolutionary products need to be treated differently and put in their own marketing category. People need to get over the newness factor before they can accurately form opinions about it. Marketers have to sort out if a consumer really doesn’t like a product because of the product itself or because it is something different.
One of the first lessons that I think is most helpful for a marketer trying to gain insight from customers is that context is everything. Companies have to be so careful in how they design their research. Coke made a huge mistake with the “sip challenge” put on by Pepsi. Coke got nervous that they were loosing market share and that Pepsi was winning the head- to head challenges, so they redesigned their secret formula to come up with New Coke. Coca-Cola executives were so excited because it beat Pepsi in head-to-head blind taste tests; however, it failed miserably. Lab coats don’t always know best. The sip test really had nothing to do with real life. Who normally just takes one slip of a soda and drinks it while being blind folded? Hopefully the answer is no one! Coke forgot that there is a link between mind and body. For example, the psychological impact relates to Coke’s red label and the associations that the brand conveys while the physiological impact is how the flavor taste, etc. I love the initial taste of those red and white peppermints, but I can never finish it because it starts to taste weird to me after a while.
Researches say that a CLT (central location test) can produce totally different results than a home- use test. I feel results get distorted when they are taken out of context. For example, people act differently when they know that they are being observed compared to if they had no idea they were being watched. It’s always best to observe people in a natural environment. Market research isn’t always a great indicator of what might actually happen when the product is launched. It bothers me when companies ask potential customer’s hypothetical questions about if they would buy a certain new product. When XM Satellite Radio was trying to launch its commercial free radio they called people and asked them 80 questions. When people are being asked to use hypothetical money to buy a new product, they are typically going to just say yes; however, this is totally different than actually going out and buying it. Snapple doesn’t do research groups on new flavors- they just make up a new formula and put it on the shelves- if it sells- they keep it, if not- they just try a new one.
Another lesson that I found that could be instructive to help gain insight on customers is the fact that it is difficult for consumers to really articulate or to understand their own needs and feelings. In the TED talk podcast, Malcom Gladwell talked about how Howard Moskowitz finally realized that there is just not one prefect product. Now thanks to him there are 36 types of Ragu spaghetti sauce. In surveys no one really ever stated that they wanted chunky spaghetti sauce until they just tasted it. Customers only know what they know, not necessarily what to ask for. In the case of the Aeron chair it was seen as ugly and looked fragile. In all reality, it was just different and people try to go with the safest choice and the norm. People associate not liking things that are not familiar to them. When I was in New York over the break, my husband made me try baby octopus. He loved them, but I said I hated them because it was so different for me. If I probably just got over the fact that it was different I probably would have liked them; however, I was quick to judge and labeled it as something I would not get again. Revolutionary products need to be treated differently and put in their own marketing category. People need to get over the newness factor before they can accurately form opinions about it. Marketers have to sort out if a consumer really doesn’t like a product because of the product itself or because it is something different.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)